Windows Service Control Manager Detects CSExecSvc Installation and Execution

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1569.002Service Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies attempts to install the CSExec Windows service by matching Service Control Manager events where the service name is csexecsvc and the ImagePath ends with \csexecsvc.exe. Service installation followed by execution is a common method for attackers to gain persistent or remote execution capabilities. It relies on Windows System telemetry from Event ID 7045, including Provider_Name, ServiceName, and ImagePath fields.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1569.002 — drag to rearrange

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Suspicious Service Installation Masquerading as winupd

Suspicious PSexec Application Execution (via process_creation)

Malicious Metasploit PsExec Named Pipe Command Execution

Malicious PsExec Service Installation via PSEXESVC

Malicious NotPetya Payload Execution via Rundll32 Ordinal Export from Windows Directory

Suspicious Lateral Movement via PsExec Service (via process_creation)

Possible PsExec Remote Service Installation with Randomly Named Service (via security)

Windows Service Control Manager Detects CSExecSvc Installation and Execution

Pivot detection · T1569.002 · 9 related

Changelog

v2

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

windows-service-control-manager-csexec-service-installation-eventid-7045-a27e5fa9

title: Windows Service Control Manager Detects CSExecSvc Installation and Execution
id: 7abf8ed3-5b8c-43c4-a5ae-240f93995caa
status: test
description: This rule identifies attempts to install the CSExec Windows service by matching Service Control Manager events where the service name is csexecsvc and the ImagePath ends with \csexecsvc.exe. Service installation followed by execution is a common method for attackers to gain persistent or remote execution capabilities. It relies on Windows System telemetry from Event ID 7045, including Provider_Name, ServiceName, and ImagePath fields.
references:
  - https://github.com/malcomvetter/CSExec
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/system/service_control_manager/win_system_service_install_csexecsvc.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-08-07
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1569.002
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: system
detection:
  selection_eid:
    Provider_Name: Service Control Manager
    EventID: 7045
  selection_service:
    - ServiceName: csexecsvc
    - ImagePath|endswith: \csexecsvc.exe
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: a27e5fa9-c35e-4e3d-b7e0-1ce2af66ad12
    type: derived

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